The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-24
The Republican Situation.

The gentlemen who ar Interested IL
the affAirs O1 the R-pub lean paTty are
depending too much Oh The momentum
OF that O.d and respectable CTeauiZ-tiDu
10 c.tTTy II successfully through h- next
campaign. We should have. suppJsed
that their experience IL 1854 would
show Them tn danger Of such 4 reliance:
Il Certainly ought 20 Oe plain 10 chem
tha! that danger is very much greater
nov than II WIS then. TRe momentum
10 which hey trusted then Gas 50 far
insufficient that their craft was brought
To dead standstill, aid il remains 10
b. seen whether, on the whole, It has
nOL IN The meantime gone back rather
than forward. II should be clear 10 any
attentive observer that the motives that
might very fairy have been expected in
1854 20 induce voters who had previous
ly ac;ed with tho Republican party to
continue 20 do 50 viii not bs So S. TOuC
neX5 year as they Then were
In the fiIst place, there vas then still
lingering and eXer.ing = very coGsidera-
Die inhuecce the negative motive fOT
cooperation win the Republicans sup
piled by the fear that the accession to
power of the Democratic party would in
some way impair the results of the war.
lessen the security OF The eufranchised
slaves, open the way to extTavdgalt
claims on the Treasury from the South,
and establish generally m!schicv Jus
supremacy OF The late rebel element
al the Government. This fear has not
been realized. The Southern ques- -iou'7
Was seen by al! rational men TO have
disappeared from national politics when
President Arthur omitted ali reference
TO Il IL his message 70 Congress in 1881;
bu- the very sincere though rather vague
sentiment 20 which j: had given rise
undoubtedly survived IN 1884 II a
sense II s,Iil survives, and viii sway a
good many thousand votes next wear
but IL IS no longer decisive, as Senator
Sherman will discover should he con-
tIuue his desperate effort 10 raise Il to
the dignity OF an issue.
Added 10 this fear OF the Democratic
advent 10 power was The o,her, much
more reasonable, that the policy OF the
Govern meDt rs TO the currency would
be weakened and disturbed by An admin
istration Of that party. Business men
in all parts of the country, but partieu-
larly IG the large centres Of commerce.
aud finance knew very well how very
delicate was the situation OF the cUun-
try rs 20 the curreLcy, how great was
the peIll latent in tie forced circulation
or Govern neut notes, the forced coinage
or silver dollars and Ghe arbitrary prac-
ice only indirectly authorized by law by
which the gold reserve was maintained
IN the Treasury and the Government
payments were made in gold. They felt
that II would involve great risk TO put
the Treasury into the hands OF men not
bound by the traditions then prevailing.
They knew Thai little ignorance. lit
tie temerl-y. even lIttle honest narrow
ma nd ~ Fa~-a.r
where such vast Consequences depended
upon the use of . mos, difficult aud un-
defined discretion, might bring Us 10
silver payments, seriously inju-e the
credit OF the Government and plunge
the country into confusion. This fear
IS absolutely disSipated. The traditions
OF the Treasury have not been broken
with shey have been i'm ~ n seiy
strengthened, and the discretion by
which the enormous interests affected by
the Department have besn protected
has been used with greater wisdom. firm
ness ana courage than ever before. The
Treasury IS safer EOw than at any time
since 1STS.
y candid consideration of the facts
We bGve mentiOneG-snd tkey are, OF
course, but a few of thusa bearing on
The situsLion-wili show that victory
VIII no, come 10 the Republicans mex.
year by me-ely waiting for l.. Ia the
trlai before the people Of the question,
S5all there be change il the National
GJyeTnment tie burden Of proof IS
Clearly shifted. Those who iasist On
the change vii! have to show, first, that
the change ought 10 be made in their
favor. At present the Republican lea
ders are singularly neglect!ng both these
tasks.-N. J. lines, lind. Rep.)